Over the past 30 years, the nation has experienced a decline in the number of public school library programs. New York City has been trying to combat this trend by implementing several innovative programs. One of them is the VITAL Libraries program. VITAL stands for Vital, Instructional, Transformative, Accessible, Learning Libraries. It is a…

In this article, the author examines how libraries have evolved and argues that they have not fundamentally changed. While the library spaces that students work in have changed, the lessons being learned fundamentally have not. Students still learn to find source materials, research, write, construct projects, create reference lists, and complete…

Over the past 20 years, school libraries have gone through a significant digital transformation reflecting a broader shift in education and information access. Traditional card catalogs have been replaced by online databases. Hardcover A-Z encyclopedias have given way to digital versions with numerous additional online research tools. Literature…

If you are ready to add a Manga collection to your school library, Rudes offers everything you need to know to get started. Understanding Manga, how this genre connects to reading and literacy, as well as programming, and titles by age group are offered to get you started.

This group of school librarians from across the country answer questions from "how do you approach collection development," to "share a story of a book you added to your collection that had a meaningful impact on a student," as well as preparing for challenges and the importance of EDI in collection development.

Krutka reflects and shares her journey to reevaluate her work as a school librarian, through personal professional development, and the action plans created. Krutka offers examples of monthly library themes, updating the collection, reconsidering library signage, and professional development.

When she was was first hired as the Scott County High School (KY) librarian, Megan Musick had many lofty goals. However after one week, she was overwhelmed with phone calls, e-mails, and people dropping in. She felt like she was just putting out small fires and never accomplishing anything. Her brain was frazzled because she was going from one…

The American Association of School Librarians reached out to four organizations on the front lines of civic engagement--the Anti-Defamation League, the Human Rights Campaign, EveryLibrary, and the American Library Association--with questions to assist school librarians as they plan their civic engagement path: (1) What is the importance of civic…

School librarians in Alaska have worked diligently to see the American Association (AASL) Standards Framework for Learners adopted by the state board of education from December 2018 until September 2020, when they were approved by the Alaska State Board of Education. The standards will be formally adopted after being signed by Alaska's Lieutenant…

When the author began his career as a school librarian, he took time to live with the collection and the school library the way it was inherited, with systems that were already in place. And during that first year, he observed. That period of observation and living with things as they were allowed him to start innovating and problem-solving from…

Altobelli and Lambert reflect on recent attacks on the LBGTQ+ community and the tendency to assume representing this community in a school library collection isn't necessary. They ask readers to consider, what about learners whose identities a school librarian may or may not know. They offer both LGBTQ+ term definitions as well as collection and…

Over the last few decades, school libraries have undergone a tremendous transformation. The technological age has ushered in a new type of library where online databases are king for research, students are issued their own laptops in one-to-one districts, and the integration of technology into the school environment has become a major initiative…

In this article, the author explores why a school librarian's value should be wrapped up in books. First, reading is a foundational skill, and memories are built around who people are before and who they are after reading a book. School librarians get to be a part of that transformation. Second, books still make up the heart of a physical library,…

Content expert Maegen Rose details her journey to becoming a school librarian, her struggles in working in an independent school, and how her identity as a Black educator affects her instruction and engagement with her students.

In a time where social-emotional learning (SEL) and best-practice initiatives can be found plastered over any and all education-related resources, how can one ensure that school librarians are living up to those expectations? School librarians are tasked with helping students to build a positive relationship with their library spaces and see the…